Combined amalgamator and concentrator.



P. KUEHN.

COMBINED AMALGAMATOR AND GONGENTRATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15, 1913 1,] QQ,Q2Q Patented June 16,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

gOLUMBlA PMNDGRAFJ'I 60.,WASHINOTON, D. c.

P. KUEHN.

COMBINED AMALGAMATOB. AND GONOENTRATOR.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 15, 1913.

Patented June 16, 1914.

COLUMBIA PLANOQRAPH cm. WASHINGTON, D. c.

PAUL KUEI-IN, or nn'rnorr, MICHIGAN.

COMBINED AMALGAMATOR AND CONGENTRATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1914.

Application filed March 15, 1913. Serial No. 754,534.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL KUEHN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Amalgamators and Concentrators, of which the following. is a specification, reference being had therein to the/ accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a machine for separating metals from their ores in which the process of amalgamation and concentration are carried on.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple device adapted to so operateas to insure the amalgamation of every particle of precious metal contained in a fluid mass passing therethrough, the operation being such as to concentrate the amalgam so formed, and the device being adapted to separately discharge said concentrates and to be actuated by the flow of the fluid mass passing therethrough.

To these ends the invention consists in the matters hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a machine embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same with parts broken away to show the con.- struction; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the end of the machine opposite that shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional detail on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a similar view showing'a'section on the line V'V of Fig. 1.

A cylindrical drum 1 is provided 'with heads 2 and 3, the head 2 being'provided with an axial bearing 4 to receivea tubular supporting shaft or member 5 which is fixed at its outer end within a suitable bearing bracket 6. The head 3 is formed With an axial tubular extension or trunnion 7 which engages and turns freely within a bearing upon the upper end of a bearing bracket 8. A tubular member 5 which is fixed within and extends through a bearing onthe upper end of the bearing bracket 6 projects into a suitable feed hopper 16 to receive fluid material from said hopper and conducts it into the drum through a laterally extending arm 9 secured upon the inner end of the tube and through a tubular feed member 10 I which extends from the lower end of the arm longitudinally of the drum. This feed tube 1s formed with a longitudinalslot 11 along its lower side and contained'within the tube is a feed member 12 formed ofsheet metal to fit within the tube and having outwardly extending integral flanges 13 which form between them a discharge slot or -nozzle for the tube extending laterally through the slot in the tube.

The outer end of the tubular trunnion 7 whichprojects through the bearing of the bracket 8, is engaged by a discharge pipe 13 which is secured in any suitable manner to the bracket to prevent it from turning with the trunnion and to receive the overflow from the drum which passes out through the tubular trunnion. The head 3 of the drum is formed with an outwardly extending peripheral flange to one side of which a series of buckets 14 are secured in the proper position to receive the discharge from the open outer end of the discharge pipe 13 which extends laterally from the bearing bracket 8. To catch any overflow from the buckets and conduct the fluid away, a suitably formed trough 15 is secured in place beneath the water wheelthus formed on the headof the drum with the sides of the trough extending upward at each side of the buckets.

Extending radially inward from one side of the drum adjacent to the head 3, isla tube '17 which opens through the side of the drum at its outer end and is closed at its inner end by means of a valve 18 carried upon a valve stem 19 extending outwardly through the tube, said valve being adapted upon longitudinal movement of the stem toseat upon the inner end of the tube. Thevalve stem is guided in a suitable guide bearing 20 provided within the tube and at its outer end said stem is pivotally attached to a flat spring 21 which is secured at one end to the drum and isarranged to spring away from the face of the drum and normally hold the of a fiuid mass or pulp, in any suitable nianner. This pulp passes through the tubular member. 5 and into the feed tube from which it is discharged through the longitudinal nozzle 13 in a thin stream. A quantity 'of mercury 26 is maintained within the bottom of the drum at a certain level therein and'the arm 9 of the feed tube is of such a length and is so positioned within the drum that the discharge nozzle 13 is held close to the inner surface of the drum within the angle formed by the meeting of said surface andthe surface of the mercury. In operation the drum is turned in the direction indicated by the arrows and thus the pulp, in a thin stream from the nozzle of the feed tube, strikes the downwardly moving surface of the drum and is carried downward thereby beneath the body of mercury. Every particle of pulp is therefore brought into contact with the mercury thus insuring perfect amalgamation of the precious metals contained therein. The pulp then rises in the drum and flows out through the open tubular trunnion 7 and discharges through the pipe 13 into the buckets 14. The weight of the water, crushed rock and other materials making up the flow of pulp, is thus utilized to turn the drum and the rapidity with which the drum will be turned is determined by the amount of the flow.

In the operation of the machine, the turning of the drum will cause a concentration of the products of amalgamation upon the surface of the body of mercury and to draw off these concentrates, the tube 17 is provi'ded. This tube extends radially inward to a point a little above the level at which the mercury is maintained when the drum is in the positionshown in Figs. 1 and 4, and by properarranging of the roll 24, the valve which closes the inner end of the tube will be opened at the proper time during each 7 revolution of the drum, to allow some of .without any material agitation of the mercury and thus flouring is prevented. This manner of feed also causes every particle of the pulp including any froth or foam, to be carried beneath the body of mercury and thus the fine particles of flaked gold which in the usual form of riffies is carried over by the foam, will be brought into contact with the mercury and saved. All of the values are thus taken out of the pulp and the flow of the pulp as it is discharged from the machine is. utilized to turn the drum thus providing a very eiiicient construct-ion which is very economical in its operation.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim is 1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotatable drum adapted to contain a body of mercury, means for feeding a fluid mass containing precious metals into the drum against the inner surface thereof adjacent to the line ofmeeting of said surface and the surface of the body of mercury, and means for turning the drum.

2. In a machine of the character described,

the combination of a rotatable closed drum adapted to contain mercury and provided with a concentric inlet at one end and a 0011- centric outlet at its opposite end, and a series of buckets upon the outer side of one end of the drum adapted to receive the discharge from the concentric outlet of said drum and turn the same.

8. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotatable closed drum adapted to contain a body of mercury and I tioned therein to direct a thin stream of pulp -1 against the downwardly moving inner surface of the drum adjacent to the upper surface of the body of mercury, and means for turning the drum.

5. In a machine of the character described,

the combination of a rotatable drum adapted to contain a body of mercury in the lower part thereof and having an axial outlet opening at one end, a feed pipe extending into the drum at the axis of the opposite end thereof and extended laterally and then longitudinally of the drum in proximity to the junction of the mercury surface and the wall of the drum to discharge pulp in a thin stream throughout the length of the drum, and means for turning the drum.

6. A machine of the character described comprising a rotatable drum adapted to contain a body of mercury and having an outlet at one end, a feed member extending into the opposite end of the drum and laterally therein to one side of the drum and longitudinally along said side, said feed member being provided with a discharge slot to direct the inflowing fluid against the inner surface of the drum adjacent to the upper surface of the body of mercury to be carried beneath the body of mercury by the said downwardly moving surface.

7. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotatable drum adapted to contain a body of mercury and having an outlet at one end, means for feeding pulp into the drum in contact with the body of mercury, means including an intermittently actuated valve for drawing olf concentrates from the surface of the body of mercury, and means for turning the drum.

8. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotatable drum adapted to contain a body of mercury and having an outlet at one end, a feed pipe extending into the opposite end of the drum and adapted to feed pulp into the angle formed by the meeting of the inner surface of the drum and the upper surface of the body of mercury, a valve controlled outlet member for permitting the discharge of concentrates from the surface of the mercury during the turning of the drum, and means for turning the drum.

9. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotatable drum adapted to contain a body of mercury in the lower part thereof and having an outlet at one end, a feed pipe extending into the opposite end of the drum and adapted to discharge against the inner surface of the drum adjacent to the surface of the mercury, a tube extending radially into the drum, a valve to control said tube, means for oper ating the valve during the turning of the drum, and means for turning the drum.

10. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotatable drum having an outlet at one end, a feed tube extending into the drum at the opposite end thereof and provided with a longitudinal slot adjacent the inner surface of the drum, a feed hopper with which the outer end of the feed tube communicates, a discharge tube into which the outlet of the drum opens, and a series of buckets carried by the drum into which the discharge from the drum is directed by the discharge tube.

11. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a pair of brackets having bearings at their upper ends, a rotatable drum, a head on one end of the drum formed with a tubular trunnion engaging one of the bearings, a feed tube fixed within the bearing at the opposite end of the drum and extended into said end, said tube being off-set laterally toward one side of the drum and extended longitudinally of said side and divided with a discharge slot to discharge pulp into the angle formed by the meeting of the inner surface of the drum and the upper surface of the body of mercury, a radial tube opening through one side of the drum, a valve to close the inner end of the tube, means positioned exteriorly of the drum for opening the valve and holding the same open during a portion of each revolution of the drum, and means for turning the drum.

12. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotatable drum adapted to contain a body of mercury for amalgamating purposes, and means includ ing an intermittently actuated valve carried by said drum for drawing off concentrates from the surface of the body of mercury within said drum.

13. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotatable drum adapted to contain a body of mercury for amalgamating purposes, and means includ ing an intermittently actuated valve carried by said drum for drawing off concentrates from the surface of the body of mercury within said drum, means for moving said valve into and out of actuating position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PAUL KUEHN.

Witnesses:

ANNA M. Donn, LEWIS E. FLANDERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

